The present invention relates to a new and improved handle which is adapted to be manually gripped by a person being towed, such as a water skier.
Water skiers have commonly gripped a straight bar having its ends connected with a tow rope. The linear configuration of the bar has resulted in the skier's hands being in an unnatural position when they grip the bar. This unnatural orientation of the hands while gripping the bar results in the application of unnecessary and excessive stresses to the muscles of the skier.
Tow line handles for water skiers have also been made with a generally V-shaped configuration. The hands of the skier grip the transversely extending legs of the V-shaped handle. A tow line handle having a generally V-shaped configuration is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,240.
When a handle having a V-shaped configuration is gripped in a horizontal orientation, the palms of the skier's hands face downwardly with the skier's thumbs adjacent to the central portion of the handle. When a V-shaped handle is gripped in this manner, both legs of the handle apply an excessive force to the third and fourth fingers of the skiers hands. If the V-shaped handle is gripped in an upright orientation with the palms of the skier's hands on opposite sides of the handle, the third and fourth fingers of the hand which engages the upwardly and rearwardly sloping lower section of the handle will be subjected to excessive forces. The application of excessive force to any of the fingers of a skier's hand tends to promote fatigue and reduce the total force which can be transmitted between skier and the tow line.